Christmas Lights, Beer, and A Snowstorm
by LondonGirl101
Summary: Castle and Beckett get stuck together at the Old Haunt during a snowstorm. Christmas fic.


**Christmas Lights, Beer, and A Snowstorm**

_Summery: Castle and Beckett get stuck together at the Old Haunt during a snowstorm. Christmas fic._

_A/N: This is my first attempted Christmas fic. And it's funny because I wrote this all the way back in April, and fully attempted to post it the day after I edited it, but I just never got around to it. So, here it is now and hopefully you're in a Holiday mood. :P Happy Christmas to every Castle fan out there!_

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><p>"...Sooooo I was wondering if you wanted to come help me put up the tree and decorations."<p>

Beckett bit the bottom of her lip while considering Castle's suggestion. He had told her that he was currently at the old Haunt, surrounded by boxes of decorations, a plain christmas tree, and was now begging with her on the phone to come help him put everything up.

"Where's Ryan and Esposito?" She asked.

"Ryan said he had plans with Jenny, and Esposito was going out with Lanie." Castle said.

"What about Alexis?"

"She's with a friend."

"Martha?"

"She's in London."

Beckett sighed. "Of course she is."

"Come on, Beckett." Castle pleaded. "I know you're not doing anything tonight. Please?" He said, holding out the last syllable.

True, she wasn't doing anything at the moment. She _was _kinda bored. She thought about it a second longer before making up her mind.

"Fine, Castle." Though she couldn't see him, she imagined he was jumping up in the air, doing a fist pump.

"Awesome!" He replied, excitedly. "I'll see you in a few."

"Yeah. See you." Beckett replied. She hung up, grabbed her coat and car keys, and headed out the door knowing full well she was going to regret this.

~Castle&Beckett~

Beckett bustled in through the Old Haunt's door, shutting it tightly behind her because of the cold. Brushing the melting snow off of her coat, she walked into the pleasantly warm bar, finding Castle tangled in a string of lights.

"Are you _trying_ to strangle yourself?" Beckett asked.

Castle looked up. "Hello to you, too."

Beckett tossed her coat on a bar stool, and walked over to him. "I can't believe you can't even put up Christmas lights by yourself." She grabbed a handful of string and lifted it over his head, trying to help him get out of the mess. "Actually, scratch that, I can believe it."

Castle smirked at her. "Ho ho."

Beckett snorted, but otherwise smiled. "Stop moving, Castle, or I'll never be to get you out of this."

He did as she said, and in less than a minute, he was free from the lights.

"Thank you." He said.

"Yeah," Beckett replied. She threw the pile of lights into one of the boxes. "So am I here to help or what?"

Thirty minutes later, Christmas music filled the air, a few beer bottles lay open on the counter, and Beckett was humming under her breath as she and Castle strung up the lights on the tree, after many minutes of trying to untangle them out of their boxes.

"Do I hear singing over there, Detective?" Castle asked.

"Humming, Castle. It's called humming."

"Humming then?"

Beckett shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe. Why are you so surprised?"

Castle shrugged, and did the finishing touches to the lights. "I just never thought you were one to get into the 'Christmas spirit.'"

She just shrugged, looking slightly embarrassed. "I love Christmas."

Castle looked at her, and lightly bumped his shoulder into hers. Knowing that he wanted a full explanation, and that if she didn't give him one he would bug her about it the rest of the night– no– the rest of her life, she obliged.

"Every year, my mom and I would decorate the whole house for Christmas the _minute _Thanksgiving was over, and they started playing Christmas music on the radio. We would put up the tree and just... all this stuff around the house. We put our stockings up the stairway because we didn't have a fireplace... On Christmas Eve we would go to the mall and shop for all of our presents. She would always procrastinate for that." Beckett smiled and looked down at the floor and then back up at Castle. "I think my favorite part was the smell... You know it just... Our house smelled like old spices and cinnamon in the winter."

Castle smiled. "It warms you up on the inside."

"Yeah,"

He plugged in the lights, and the tree lighted up with a warm glow of different colours.

He and Beckett stood back to admire their handy work, and Castle turned to see Beckett smiling.

"It's beautiful." She said.

He smiled. "Wait until the whole Haunt's decorated."

He was true to his word. Castle and Beckett opened box after box, hanging up wreaths, tinsel, candy canes, and mistletoe. Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree started playing and Beckett is sure they have had too much to drink when Castle practically jumps up and down saying how much he loves this song. She laughs at him, and is taken by surprise when he grabs her around the waist and starts dancing with her. Even more surprised that she doesn't pull out of his arms. In fact, she smiles at him and clasps their hands together, her other one his shoulder. They danced all around the bar, and end up in a fit of laughter, so hard, that they can't even hold themselves upright. They're a heap on the floor, looking like two teenagers who had just gotten a little bit too high. Both of their faces are red, and Beckett's hair's cascaded across her shoulders, some of it on Castle's chest.

"Oh my gosh, Castle..." Beckett said, trying to catch her breath. "I don't think I've had this much fun since... a long, long time."

"Ever?" Castle said, smirking.

She slapped him on the chest but, not too hard. Looking out the bars door, she saw that the snow was still coming down fast. Dread quickly filled her insides at the thought of leaving already. "I should probably be going." She said, leaning her head back against the wall.

Castle nodded, following suite. "Yeah, probably. Especially in this weather..." Castle looked around her where the door was. "I wonder how bad it's gotten..."

As fate would have it, right after he spoke those words, there was a loud clunking noise, and then the lights went out. There was moment of complete silence.

"Perfect." Castle mumbled.

Beckett couldn't have agreed more.

~Castle&Beckett~

Beckett turned around in her bundle of sheets, shaking. She was as cold as an ice sickle. She and Castle had ended up staying in his office at the Old Haunt because of the weather and the blackout. Even though she was under at least seven thick, warm sheets, the electricity was still out, and she was as cold as you could get without freezing to death.

"Are you still awake?" Caste asked.

He was sleeping on the floor next to the couch that Beckett was occupying.

"Yeah." She answered.

"Is it just me or are these blankets not giving off enough heat?" She could here him move slightly.

Beckett rolled her eyes. "Blankets don't give off heat, Castle. They keep heat in."

"Whatever," Castle said. "I just wish the electricity would come back on."

She nodded in agreement even though she knew he couldn't see her.

"Beckett?"

"Yes?"

"Do you cuddle?"

Beckett's eyes flew open, and she glared down at him. "Why?"

She could hear the hint of fear in his voice. "Well, it's cold and we're not exactly getting warmer, so I was just... A little body heat wouldn't be too bad. Would it?"

Usually if he even mentioned sleeping with her (Even when he really meant sleeping), she would give him a snide remark, and blow it off. But now... in the cold... she was having second thoughts.

Without saying anything, she got up off of the couch, blankets around her shoulders and stood next to his body on the floor. He didn't move.

"Well," Beckett said. "Go ahead."

"Really?" Castle asked surprised.

"Really."

He got up off the floor, and sunk down on the couch.

"Just remember," Beckett warned. She too sunk down on the couch next to Castle. "I'm wearing a gun."

Castle nodded. "Got it."

They tried to make themselves as comfortable as they possibly could, and ended up with Beckett practically laying on top of him, their legs tangled together, his breath in her ear.

She heard him chuckle. "You know, usually I would make a really dirty remark right about now, but then you might end up putting me back on the floor."

"Good guess." She said.

She lay her head down on his chest, and found herself already getting warmer. She could feel his heartbeat through his shirt. Just the thought of that made her fingers clench into a fist, grabbing a handful of his shirt.

"Now I finally get to say that I slept with you."

"What was that speech you just gave me?"

"Sorry. I couldn't help it."

"Shut up, Castle."

He did.

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><p><em>Thoughts?<em>


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